As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Information handling systems may be configured in a modular format with blades to allow a user to customize the system according to the user's needs or desires. Modular information systems may have inefficient cooling systems, for example, where less than all bays are occupied with blades.
Energy efficiency of information handling systems has become an area of considerable interest, for example, in light of rising energy costs and/or environmental concerns. Yet, in some cases, system cooling may consume a significant portion of overall system power. A cooling system may include a fan that directs air toward one or more components (e.g., blades) of an information handling system. However, in a modular information handling system, substantial amounts of energy may be expended communicating ambient air and/or exhaust through unoccupied bays. Although fixed plates may be installed to block air flow through such unoccupied bays, manually installed plates may not afford the user all of the desired and/or required flexibility.